Suction pump



May 12, 1931. M, PSON 1,804,987

sucrxou PUMP Filed Aug. 8. 1928 7'0 JOURCE INVENTOR Mg0v JED user),

ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT MORTON HOIE'SON, OF EU'STIS, FLORIDA SUCTION PUMP Application filed August 8, 1928. Serial l To. 298,348.

creased efficiency, by preventing loss of volmums and consequent reduction in suction.

The invention from another aspect, provides automatic safety means serving to relieve sudden or irregular pressure within the pump case, and to' prevent exhaustion of fluid from the pump case through momentary stoppage in the suction line.

In the operation of suction pumps in dredging work, it sometimes happens that, the intake-of the suction line becomes temporarily closed by contact with immovable matter,

or momentarily clogged by mud or sand, resulting in abnormal suctionand momentary exhaustion of fluid matter from the pump casing. Release of the clogging or clos'ureof the intakeend fluid matter with great force causing so called water hammer and often causes the pump case to burst. p

A feature ofmy invention consists in the provision of means constituting a relief vent and providing for the intake of fluid from a separate source to relieve the pressure caused by momentary stoppage or clogging of the intake and to maintain the pump primed for operation, thereby preventing hammer and resultant damage.

A further feature of the invention consists in the provision of means operated through the suction of the pump effectiveto induce a flow of fluid therein from a separate source to maintain the fluidity of and provide a substantially constant volume of fluid matter in the pump case, thereby producing uniform and full suction, this external supply further providing for the continued priming of the pump case and the prevention of injurious water hammer in cases of momentary stoppage of the suction intake pipe.

The structural provisions for effecting these results are more fully explained and then causes a sudden flow of.

which may described in the following detailed specification which is to be read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings forming part thereof and in which Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of the intake side of a centrifugal sand or dredging pump case of the type embodying removable s1de plates and a closed type of impeller,

as constructed in accordance with the pres ent invention;

Figure'2 is pump case with the impeller partly in eleva-. tion, the. section being taken on line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure ure 2.

In the drawings, I have shown a pump case of standard form embodying the annular rim channel l having a discharge outletnozzle 2 edges to the inner edges of the rim channel 1.

The inner edge of theside plate 4, which may be termed the outer side plate, is flanged and bolted to the flanged outer edge of the outer central bearing plate 5 centrally bored to're which extends outceive the pump shaft 6 wardly therefrom and is coupled to a suitable driving motor as byshaft mounted pulley and belt or intergearing. The flanged inner edge of the side plate 3, be termed the inner or intake side plaltmfis bolted to the flange 7 at the inner en 0 wardly from the pump casing and is bolted by the flange 9 at its outer end to the interfiange 10 into which is-thread-' nally threaded ed the inner end of the suction intake pipe 11, the bearing sleeve 8 and intake pipebeing concentric-with the drive shaft 6.

An impeller of standard form is mounted within the pump case between the side plates 3 and 4 and comprises the usual circumferentially spaced vanes 12 closed at their sides and joined by plates 13 and having a hollow central hub portion 14 communicating with the Channels formed between the spaced 3 is a vertical section through an auxlhary fluid intake on the line 3-3- of Fig-- FFIC a 1 r a vertical section through V the a bearing sleeve 8 which projects outvanes 12. The inner ends of the vanes and plates at the outer side of the casing are joined and formed with a bearing hub portion 15 centrally apertured to receive the drive shaft 6 which is keyed or otherwise suitably secured thereto as shown in Figure 2. The central bearing plate 5 is centrally recessed upon its inner face at 16 to provide a bearing for the hub 15.

At the opposite side of the pump case, the inner ends of the vanes 12 and plates 13 are joined with an annular ring formation 17 edging the hollow hub 14 of the impeller and spaced from the inner edge of the bearing sleeve 8.

A tubular sleeve 19 is secured to the an nular hub ring 17 either by casting as a unitary part of the impeller or by welding or other means of attachment, the internal diameter of the sleeve 19 corresponding substantially with that of the intake pipe 11 and the hollow hub 14 of the impeller. The outer end of the sleeve 19 terminates a short distanceinwardly of the flange 10 and the inner end of the intake pipe 11 providing an annular channel 20 through which clear water is drawn by the suction created bythe flow of fluid matter through intake conduit 11 past said annular channel to maintain the fluidity of the pump case contents as will be hereinafter seen. The annular channel 20, therefore, functions in this respect as an aspirator or injector of lighter fluid such as Water. The impeller, by this construction, is provided witha hub 15 at one end and a oo-axial sleeve 19 at its opposite end which serves to journal the impeller in the pump ease.

A plurality of, or as shown, two, pipes or conduits 21 and 22 have their inner ends threaded into adjacent bores spaced circumferentially of the bearing sleeve 8, their outer ends extending to and being immersed in a suitable source of clear water supply. The inner ends of the pipe 21-22 terminate above the inner face of the bearing sleeve 8 at the junction of the pipe bore therein with longitudinal channels 23 formed in the inner face of the bearing sleeve and extending for its full length to communicate at its outer end with the annular channel. 20 and at their inner ends with the space 24 between the outer face of the impeller and the inner face of the side plates 13. The impeller has its outer edge terminating substantially in line with the inner edge of the rim channel 1, the fluid matter sucked in through the intake pipe 11 V passing through the sleeve 19 into the hollow hub 14 of the impeller and thence, by the rotation of the impeller, being thrown outwardly by centrifugal force into the rim channel 1 and drawn around the channel by the suction created by the rotation of the impeller to discharge through the throat 2.

' The auxiliary fluid supply pipes 21 and ,the suction to a 22 are located on the stationary bearing sleeve 8 at points at the circumference of the sleeve substantially diametrically opposite to the discharge throat 2. As the impeller is rotated through its drive shaft 6, the suction created will draw fluid through the intake pipe 11 to the hub space 14 and thence out- Wardly' to the rim channel 1 and through the discharge throat 2 thereof. Suction is thereby created through the annular space 24 between the impeller and the side plate 3 of the pump case and clear water is drawn in through the auxiliary supply pipes 21 and 22 and through the supply grooves 23 into the space 24 to mingle with and maintain the fluidity of the matter drawn in through pipe 11 and to maintain a substantially uniform volume of fluid in the pump case,the volume of liquid so drawn in being controlled by and varying with the speed of rotation and the; induced suction of the impeller. Similarly draft of the fluid matter through the intake pipe 11 will draw through the annular channel 20 clear water from the auxiliary intake pipes 21 and 22 mingling the clear water with the fluid drawn in through pipe 11 and maintaining the fluidity of the mass as it is drawn into the hub 14 of the impeller as well as covering the sleeve 19 with a film of water tending to reduce wear. The clear Water drawn into the rim channel 1 tothe suction space 24 will maintain the matter filling the channel in a fluid condition and reduce, if not entirely prevent, the formation of su ction rev ducing eddies around the channel and at the discharge throat. By increasing the fluidity of the matter discharged by the impeller into the channel 1 an increased and more uniform suction is produced. "In the, event of momentary stoppage of the'intake end of the suction tube 11, either by contact with an immovable substance of by momentary clogging with solids, an exhaustion of priming fluid in the case is preventedibyflow of clear water into the pump case through the" intakes 21 and 22 accentuated by the increased suction produced by the momentary stoppage in the intake which obviously reduces water hammer when the intake pipe 11" becomes unclogged.

The auxiliary fluid supply thus provided through the pipes 21, 22 and the cooperating structural aids, therefore, not only serves to; improve the normal operation of the pump by maintaining fluidity and volume of intake but also provides a safety factor in the form of emergency'vents preventing abnormal suction and water hammer in the event of;

momentary clogging of the intake, v V

The specific structural form of the invention as disclosed, is intended as illustrative rather than restrictive, and is subject to modification and adaptation to; manufae-lpoint preventing injurious,

turing conditions and varying forms of pump structures in consonance with the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim therefore and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A centrifugal suction dredging pump having axial intake and peripheral discharge passages and a pump case provided with a tubular axial extension on its intake side, a suction intake pipe having its inner end coupled to the end of said tubular extension, a rotary impeller in said case, a tubular sleeve carried by said impeller and disposed within the tubular extension ofthe pump case with its outer end in spaced relation'to said suction intake pipe to provide an annular channel therebetween and a supplemental suction passage formed in said tubular extension communicating with said annular channel and with a source of liquid supply to supply, through the suction of the matter drawn through said intake pipe, liquid maintaining the fluidity of the intake of the pump.

2. A centrifugal suction dredging pump comprising a pump case housing a rotary impeller having a tubular axial extension providing an axial suction intake and having a peripheral discharge passage communicating with said suction intake. a suction intake pipe having its inner end communicating with said axial intake extension, a sleeve connected to the pump case in which said tubular axial extension is journaled and provided with a supplemental suction intake passage communicating with the interior of the pump case, and a conduit communicating with said passage and w1th a source of liquid supply independent of that of the suction intake P 1 a pump case housing a rotary impeller having a tubular axial extension providing an axial suction intake and having a peripheral discharge passage communicating with said axial intake through the impeller, a suction intake pipe having its inner end communicating with the end of said axial extension and in spaced relation thereto to provide an annular channel therebetween, a sleeve connected with the pump case journaling said tubular axial extension and provided'with a supplemental axial suction passage communicating with said annular channel and with the interior of the pump case, and a conduit having one end carried by said sleeve and communicating with said supplemental passage and having its other end communicating with a source of liquid supply.

MORTON HOPSON.

3. A centrifugal suction pump comprising 

